“In fact, the only rebel factions still strong enough to resist and fight the regime on the latest fronts are the radical Islamists. The town of Azizeh, just outside the Marjeh area in the east, the strategically vital Sheikh Najjar industrial zone, the old city and Aleppo’s central prison are all defended by al-Qaeda’s affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra, as well as Salafist militants Ahrar al-Sham, a member of the Islamic Front.”

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for the expansion of relations with Iran in all spheres during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in New Delhi on Friday.…Iran plays a “strategic role” in the security of the region, Ansari said, adding that India and Iran should expand their relations.…Ansari pointed to the affinities and historical relations of the two countries and emphasized the need to expand bilateral ties.

The Iranian president has appointed two women to the position of governor in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan. Massoumeh Parandvar is now serving as the governor of Hamoon, while Homeira Rigi, with a history of leadership roles in the health and interior ministries, is now governor of Qasreqand.

The Mehr News Agency describes Parandvar as a graduate in Urban Planning with 14 years of leadership roles in the provincial governments of Sistan-Baluchistan and Northern Khorasan.

Currently, Sistan-Baluchistan is a leader in terms of women’s representation in senior executive positions.

Zahra Arbabi, the head of Hassan Rohani’s campaign headquarters in Sistan-Baluchistan, was appointed as the Deputy of Human Resource Development and Management, and Sameih Baluchzehi, with a background in natural resource engineering, became the first women to become a mayor in Sistan-Baluchistan.